Trends for 2009

What are the decor trends for 2009? Which of this year’s trends are expected to trickle to next year? Find out here.

Openeverything in Hong Kong

In this day and age when knowledge is considered an important commodity and sharing information is seen as decreasing the value of a particular information, there are those who choose to do otherwise to create improvements in society. 

Open Everything is a global conversation about the art, science and spirit of being ‘open’. It gathers people using openness to develop or improve education, media, philanthropy, architecture, neighbourhoods, workplaces and the society we live in–literally, everything.  Each Open Everything event is different and topics may include running participatory events, taking open source thinking beyond the tech world (Wiki, anyone?) etc. What actually gets discussed on the day, according to the website, depends on who shows up, and what they’re passionate about.

This should be interesting. Openeverything HK happens on 6 Decemeber 2008, at the SOHO Life Office – Guangdong Investment Tower 1/F – 148 Connaught Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

Registration is from 9:00AM – 10:00AM, Main Event 10:00AM – 5:00PM. Socials immedately follows the main event. The event is free and open to the public, but people are requested to pre-register. For more details, log on to openeverything.hk.

Designer’s Challenge

While travel is something a lot of people look forward to, the hospitality industry experiences the first blow during an economic crisis. But if we were to look at something positive of this, one of those would surely have to be how design can once again transform this industry. Remember when all that is expected from accommodations was a clean, quiet room with a comfortable enough bed and a bathroom stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion? Today, these are the most minimal of requirements as, thanks to designers, the rise of boutique hotels that have an upscale ambience and personalized service has taken these desired experience out of the realm of the luxury resorts. Boutique hotels have in fact elevated expectations through all levels of the hospitality industry. Luxury, for example, can no no longer be specifically defined as plush fabrics, rich materials, elegant furnishings, and copious details. The same sense of quality can be imparted through stark minimalism that offers guests an alternative and perhaps unexpected refreshing experience. How one defines quality accommodations has also changed since designers are applying their talents to hotels in all budget ranges to create contemporary design concepts.

The Boutique Hotel, Tagaytay redefines luxury

 With expectations raised, good design will always be something people will look for. The challenge now is how to make it happen with reduced resources.

On a brighter note, we received news from BVZ Asia, the exclusive distributer of Sunbrella fabrics in Asia, that  Glen Raven Inc. unveiled a new brand identity for Sunbrella®. Click here for details.

Art Talk

Ever wondered why Julie Lluch’s works always have heavily defined eyelids? And why her colors do not veer from earth tones? Here’s a chance to engage in an art talk with the famous artist.

Maybe we will ask what it takes to be her apprentice.

Art for A Better World

“Give love on Christmas Day,” The Coffee Beaners say.

This Christmas Season, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf company combines its three passions to hopefully make a better world. First of which is its advocacy to support different advocacies. Twelve organizations—Kababihan Gabay sa Bayan (KAGABAY), Caritas Manila-Restorative Justice, The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Bahay Tuluyan, Haribon, Cartwheel Foundation, Kythe, Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP), Philippine Cerebral alsy INC., Philippine Band of Mercy (PBM), Resources for the Blind, and Philippine Business for Social Congress (PBSP)—were chosen as beneficiaries of donations from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf company and its patrons.

The second of these passions is art. A journal featuring the artworks of 12 of the most important Filipino artists today will be given to participants of this worthy program. Three different designs, featuring four artists each, will be available. Artists featured are Zean Cabangis, Erwin Leano, Carlo Angelo Saavedra, Salvador Joel Alonday, Benjie Cabangis, Noell EL Farol, Sandra Fabie-Gfeller, Jim Orencio, Riel Hilario, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Augusto Albor and Jose Tence Ruiz.

Now try to guess the third one.

Coffee, of course!

Oh, and what’s the deal with all the twelves? The promo is entitled “12 Cups with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Give in to Giving”.

A Northern Star

The province of Ilocos is known to be the turf of many of today’s powerful political figures, but by far, the most known of this lot is also the province’s favorite son and one who has exerted much influence over the whole country—former president Ferdinand Marcos.
During his rule, Marcos took residence in what is now known as Malacañan Ti Amianan, which translates to Malacañan of the North. A large mansion with its very own man-made lake, it was the site of many of the Marcos’s lavish parties.
The design is very much similar to the Hispanic bahay na bato (stone house), and shortly after the ousting of the former president and his family, the new government had seized ownership of the mansion.
More than 20 years had passed, the house shows signs of its age and has fallen into disrepair—wallpaper is already peeling off the walls, the pool had turned into a swamp—despite the efforts of its caretakers. It is such a shame that we are slowly losing another piece of history and perhaps thanks to the neglect and lack of funding from the government.
We do hope that we could still save whatever’s left of the Malacañan of the North before it’s too late.

the house

A Lost Art

One of Vigan, Ilocos Sur’s traditional crafts, the burnay jars are still made to this day the traditional way by adept potters. Each jar is shaped on a wheel almost in no time at all, as seen in this video. Each jar is then baked in a kiln dug from out from the earth.

Looking for Design Inspirations?

Writing (blogging) on design needs an inspired writer (blogger). There are a number of websites out there that keeps us inspired. One of them is www.designspongeonline.com.

Logo image from the website.

What now, Macau?

Despite the economic situation, life goes on. It may be tougher for some of the players in the design-related industries like the hospitality businesses but for those that focus on craftsmanship and quality, the future is not too dim. Exhibitions are set in key cities of the world and this month, Macau opens its doors.

Landscape Architects?

Historically Landscape architecture evolved for the basic reasons of sustainability – centuries ahead of this ‘Green Awareness’ and ‘the quest to save the planet Earth’ movement which brought about the institutionalized and systemic planning approaches of ‘alternative energies’, LEED certification, green buffer zones, green revolution, and environmental consciousness to the effects of pollution and the ‘quality of air and water, save the whale, save the planet, save the trees, organic, nature, etc.etc.

We, the Landscape Architects are the gatekeeper of the landscape environment, the mechanic of the ecosystem and the creator of a balanced and environmentally sustainable human creation of the ‘paradise of Eden’.

Ebenezer Howard or Frederick Law Olmstead had envisioned a professional alter-ego of the architect’s monstrosity of stone and steel structures that had engulfed humanity and devoid its humanly existence from nature and thus the appreciation of the ‘gardens’ and the ‘eastern culture and value system in close association with nature forming the basic elements of landscape architecture.

The evolution of landscape architecture as a science and art of nature and human creativity that has brought about the ‘Green’ concept and has made the scientific community’s efforts and awareness much easier in conveying to the public the forthcoming global environmental crisis – caused by the excesses of human activities and ‘architecture’ .

Global warming aside from the hazardous gasses emitted into the upper layer of the planets ‘atmospheric shield’ is also caused by the reflectivity of human shelters, road networks and a ’sea of paved areas’ generating a reflected heating of the underside of the ‘reflective shield’ and defleting the ‘living giving air mix’ essential for healthy life froms.

The Landscape Architect is the only profession that is qualified to universally understand this environmental sensitivity to the delicate balance of nature and the existence of living forms of the planet.

PALA has to make this statement and a presentation of the professional role of the landscape architect in the man-made environment, the creator of a balanced human expression of nature and architecture.

Nat John G Duenas

(This entry is being reposted here with permission from Landscape Architect Nat Duenas, who wrote this in line with a lecture on landscape architecture’s sustainable design principles via the PALA yahoogroup. For more information on the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA), check out www.pala.org.ph)